Tag: Mehdi Taremi

Taremi & Azmoun see red in their clubs league matches!

Sardar Azmoun, like Mehdi Taremi, was red-carded and dismissed in the match played today.  in the tenth round of the Russian Premier League Zenit hosted Sochi in St, Petersburg and went ahead through a goal scored by Artem Dzyuba on the stroke of halftime. Three minutes earlier Sardar Azmoun was given his marching order after a VAR review of the incident by the referee. Azmoun was involved in a fifty Fifty ball with Sochi keeper but his foot hit the keeper’s midriff. Initially, the referee branded a yellow card, but on video review, he changed the color to red. Zenit went on to suffer its first defeat of the season 1-2.

 

Yesterday (Saturday) in Portugal, Mehdi Taremi was also given his marching order after a second yellow card was awarded for diving in the penalty box. That second yellow meant a red card and dismissal from the match. Porto however, went on to win the match 2-1.

Although Sardar Azmoun’s straight red card was more than harsh as he had the full right to go for the ball, unfortunately, he collided with the keeper with his foot high enough to be rendered a dangerous play. Taremi’s red card was typical misconduct by the player who is accumulating yellow and red cards at an alarming level in Europe. Taremi has received 6 yellow cards so far and so early in the season with club and country and now a red card!

 

The timing of the two red cards for arguably the best two players in Team Melli does not augur well with a crucial World Cup double starting in 4 days time, first against the UAE and then in Azadi against South Korea.

However, it was not all bad news for the Legionnaires in Europe as AEK Athen featuring three Team Melli players managed to win 3-1 away to Panetolokos to keep pace with the top of the table in Greece top division. Millad Mohammadi made his debut for AEK Athens after his transfer and played the full 90 minutes. Ansarifard and Hajsafy both were brought in with 15 minutes to go.

Iran will play UAE in Al Zabeel Stadium in Dubai at 20:45 local time (20:15 Iran Time)

Brilliant week for Team Melli legionnaires.

A total of six goals were scored by Team Melli players legionnaires this weekend. From Dubai to the east all the way west to Porto in Portugal, and North in Ukraine to south Europe in Greece, the Iranian players showed grit, skill, and most important abilities to score.

Mehdi Ghaedi the former Esteghlal, came in as a substitute for Shabab Al-Ahli and scored two goals including the last-second equalizer to set the stadium alight. It was a dream performance for the recently joined Ghaedi that has already started a trend in Dubai to compare him to their former hero Ali Karimi. The match ended Shabab Al-Ahli 4-2 Sharjah.

In Porto, another Bushehri player who has already established himself in the Portuguese league, also scored two goals for his club FC Porto in 5-0 drubbing of Moreirense. Mehdi Taremi scored his third goal of the new league with a chip over the opposition goalkeeper.

In Crete island, Karim Ansarifard scored what looked like the winner for his team AEK Athens away to OFI Crete, but the islanders score in the injury time for the match to end 3-3.

Ehsan Hajsafy also played in this match alongside Nasarifard, was the third Iranian player of the team, Milad Mohammadi was not registered for the match.

Allayhyar Sayyadmanish, the promising young Team Melli player who has been forgotten by the selectors, put a forceful claim to a place in Team Melli squad when he scored again for his club Zorya to beat Chornomorets 3 – 0. This was Sayyadmanish’s third goal of the season for Zorya.

 

With Azmoun still to play for Zenit on Monday evening against Kazan, it already looks like a piece of excellent news for the passionate Iranian fans and comes right after the Iran National Volleyball team managed to lift the Asian Championship after they beat host and nemesis Japan comprehensively in Japan.

With Team Melli preparing for the third and fourth match day for World Cup 2022 qualifiers, this is excellent news for the fans but particularly Dragan Skocic, the Team Melli head coach. Iran will play UAE away on the 7th of October followed by a hame game against South Korea in Azadi 5 days later.

Grand performance by Team Melli

The Performance

There was indeed a general agreement that Team Melii did not perform very well against Syria in the empty tribunes of Azadi stadium. We gave the team the benefit of the doubt and considered their preparation as the worst in recent history.

Five days later, the Team Melli that turned up in Doha put the impressions of the Syria match to bed. A different lineup, 3 days or 6 sessions of practice, better organization, and with the Head Coach on the bench, the result was nothing short of admirable in every department.

Let us take a closer look at the Iraq match. Bear in mind that it was an away game for Team Melli and only 5days from the previous match.

Iraq had a total of 2 shots on target only, Iran had 12.

Iraq created 2 chances, Iran 12 out of which Team Melli scored 3 goals.

Iraq was slightly better in ball possession with 52% against Iran’s 48%

Now, Iraq is a strong contender for qualification. They have just stopped the Koreans in Seoul a few days back and were narrowly defeated by Team Melli in Bahrain. However, the early goal must have ruined Dick Advocaat’s plans from the onset. Scoring a goal in a counterattack, parking the bus for the rest of the match, and performing the circus of theatrics, time-wasting, faking injury is the hallmark of Iraqi football. They do frustrate teams, especially strong oppositions, by such tactics, and many times, they get the desired result. That early Jahanbakhsh header, however, ruined it for the Iraqi team.

Star Player

 Team Melli was efficient, strong, and highly organized in both the attack and defense and those factors reflect the result. As a group, they performed well with each player conducting their task effectively.

However, there are some outstanding individual performances, too. The players that need a special mention are:

Ahmad Noorollahi: The maestro of the team, a midfielder who was the engine of a very efficient midfield, perhaps the man of the match.

Mehdi Taremi: with one brilliant assist and a magical well-taken goal, deserves a mention.

Sardar Azmoun: Despite him being incognito most of the match, and that is no fault of him, his persistence and skills to find Taremi for the second goal, was world-class.

Shojaa Khalilzadeh: Another solid and error-free performance that deserves credit.

….And the star on the rise

The grand performance of Omid Noorafkan was a breath of fresh air. The Sepahan player was considered one of the best young players in Iran in his early footballing career. This 24 years player was a victim of changing so many clubs at early ages of development which never really stabilized his career. Now with Sepahan, he was worthy of being in the starting Team Melli’s lineup.

His performance against Iraq was truly outstanding. He hardly put a foot wrong and was the icing on the cake fr this Team Melli team.

shortfalls

The shortfalls, especially in the discipline department, still exist, but fortunately, it was not bad against Iraq. Saeid Ezatollahi’s yellow card was totally silly and uncalled for while Alireza Jahanbakhsh’s unnecessary plunge could have been a card with a different color.

A deserved 3-0 win for Team Melli vs. Iraq

Three beautiful goals, 3 precious points, and one hell of a polished performance were the result of Team Melli’s game against Iraq on Tuesday evening. Iran beat Iraq 3-0 on Matchday 2 of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 to lead the table with maximum points.

Team Melli opened the scoring as early as the third minute from a brilliant piece of play started by one of the match stars Omid Noorafkan. From the left flank, Noorafkam sent a perfectly weighted ball to Taremi who was acting as a wing. Without much hassle, Taremi crossed to the onrushing  Alireza Jahanbkash. Team Melli Captain headed a powerful ball into the goal with Iraq keeper Fahad Taleb could only parry into his own net.

In the minutes after the goal, Iraq took control of the game with surprising ease, however, none of their efforts was towards the goal as Beiravand had the quietest period. But that ball possession for Iraq did not last long as Team Melli took control of the midfield quite logically with Noorollahi and Amiri playing a vital role. Iraq lost Bashar Resan midway through the half due to injury.

Sardar Azmoun could have made the score 2-0 after a perfect diagonal pass from Noorollahi, another star of the match, from the right. Azmoun met the ball and released a powerful low shot, this time however Fahad Taleb was ready for it and saved brilliantly.

The start of the second saw Iraq put the ball into the net as early as the 2nd minute to return the compliment, but the goal was ruled offside by the linesman and the VAR confirmed the right decision has been taken by the Chinese referee.

From then on, both teams battled for the ball, especially in the midfield. Iran looked like the more organized side, with some neat passing and swift counterattacks. The enthusiastic Iraqi’s looked naive in defending and from a ball that was just going dead for an outside throw, Azmoun controlled it and despite two markers, he sent a superb ball all the way to the box where Taremi was lurking. The Porto striker brilliantly controlled the ball, ran a meter or two, and slotted the ball between the onrushing Iraq keeper’s legs, it was 2-0.

The third goal came late in the game with Iraqi players tiring, this time Karim Ansarifard, a late substitute did another Azmoun trick but from the opposite side, the ball reached Ali Ghlozadeh, himself a late substitute. The Chareloi midfielder received the ball well and dribbled Dhargam Ismael, his marker in one smooth move and easily slotted home past Fahad Taleb.

It wasn’t that difficult after all. Team Melli did not leave much for the critics. All the players did their job well, Although Aref Aghasi was short of experience and confidence being his debut match at an important match, he defended well and managed some shy incursions forward, too.

The two outstanding players were Noorollahi and Omid Noorafkan. The central defenders were solid as a rock and very little passed them. Amiri was a menace to the Iraqi and must be given a special mention.

Iran now leads the table with six points and a goal difference of +4 ahead of second-ranked team South Korea.

Team Melli starts on the right track: Iran 1 0 Syria

Azadi Stadium.

Team Melli grabbed all the three points of matchday 1 of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 third round qualifiers after beating Syria with a goal to nil scored by the skipper Alireza Jahanbakhsh.

It was from the pretty or solid performance from the Iranian side, but considering lack of preparation, no friendly matches, and a camp of 3 days with both the Head Coach and his assistance missing due to Covid19, not much was expected.

Team Melli started with the lineup consisting of Alireza Biranvand, Shoja Khalilzadeh, Mohammad Hossein Kananizadegan,  Jafar Salmani, Vahid Amiri,  Ahmad Noorollahi, Milad Sarlak, Ali Gholizadeh, Alireza Jahanbakhsh, Saman Ghoddos, and Mehdi Taremi.

The match went on as per the script, Iranian on the offensive while Syria defending en masse and waiting for the right opportunity for the counter.  However, despite ta massive difference in ball possession for Iran, the players in white failed to create any meaningful threat on Syria’s keeper.

In the first half a serious-looking injury in a form of a concussion to Milad Sarlak, forced the coach Marjio Toth on an unexpected substitution where Saeid Ezatollahi came in for the dazed Sarlak.

The second-half substitution must have raised a few eyebrows as Saman Ghoddos was substituted out.  He was by far the most creative of the Team Melli players. And what was even stranger is the introduction of a debutant in Saleh Hardani. Only the coaches can decipher that strategy. Introducing a rookie player in an important International match has never been the wisest of moves, not when the score is so close.

In the second half, perhaps the most beautiful of the Team Melli moves resulted in the ball reaching Taremi who squared it to Jahanbakhsh. The Feyenoord winger hit the ball purposely goalward but it was deflected by a Syrian defender to announce Iran’s only goal,

Nizar Mahroos, the Syrian coach failed to act on the weak points of team Melli, which were plenty. Insisting to pile up the defense, which deprived the Syrian attackers manned by two good attackers in the form of Mahmood AlMawas and Omer Khirbin, to form a serious threat. Both players found themselves isolated in attack and lacked support else their speed and tricky could have troubled Beiranvand. Instead, Iran’s keeper had a pretty comfortable day.

The biggest concern with Team Melli or this particular group of players in the serious lack of personal and tactical discipline. This match could have easily seen two red cards for Taremi and Khalizadeh. They were both lucky to escape being sent off by a weak Japanese referee who was constantly hustled by players without standing firm and giving a few cards. Iran received three cards and at this rate, there will be more suspension of players as the competition continues.

On the tactical discipline, despite the superiority of Iran in all departments, there was also a large number of lax passes, poor finishing, and some elementary mistakes by players especially towards the end of the match, which was most critical with only one goal margin.

 

Earlier today, Iraq forced a goalless draw on the hosts South Korea . At the time of writing this report, UAE vs Lebanon is goalless too, THis means Iran is setting at the top of the table on Matchday one with 3 points.

Team Melli next match will be against Iraq on Tuesday in Doha, Qatar.

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Iran vs. Syria : Technical analysis.

Team Melli has two crucial games against Syria at home then away match against Iraq in Doha, in which the full six points will propel Iran to a commanding lead in this group.

Although none of the matches will be a forgone conclusion as even the weakest team of the group, Lebanon can spring one or two surprises, it is important for Iran to start on a winning note.

As witnessed in the second part of the qualifiers in round 2, Team Melli was excellent in terms of results getting the maximum points. On the field, performance was not too shabby either with some excellent display of skills by the individual players. Skocic and his coaching team strategy for concluding the matches were admirable. Taking into account the harsh climate, the psychological pressure from depriving the team of playing its home games at home thus giving an unfair advantage to the opposition in form of the Bahrain Team, in General, the team was quite well and achieved the objective with full marks.

What was ignored by the press and media in Iran was that playing the four matches in Bahrain in a round-robin format, had a great advantage for Team Melli as well as the obvious disadvantages. This squad had hardly enough time to train with the full team players available to Dragan Skocic. In Bahrain, it was a perfect opportunity for continuity, consistency, and tactical work while training on a daily basis.

In round three of the qualifiers, the picture is different. No doubt Skocic will stick to the successful formula in which it brought maximum points last time. Emphasis on players shifting the ball from attack to defense and vice versa flawlessly.  Pressing high against teams with counter-attacks strategy and ensuring solid defense with cover from the midfield.

 

Skocic Game Plan

 In general, the system that Skocic deployed for these games was 2-4-4, which in some matches was transferred to a diamond. Or it was the 1-4-1-4 system that forced Taremi to play as a pseudo-striker behind Azmoun. The coaching staff used Taremi and Azmoun at the same time enabling the duo to put pressure on the opposing players and forcing the opposing coaches to have his midfielders cover the Iranian two forwards.

Perhaps the presence of both Azmoun and Taremi, was considered a point of criticism against Skocic by some, but a clever coach can complement the two if the right and effective plan is used. It is a misconception that you have two top attackers, and you should not use them at the same time. One of the advantages of the 2-4-4 system is that it can help the team in the spaces and, of course, put the players in a situation where they first maintain the result and then think about scoring the winning goal.

Improvements

Given that we know that Syria and Iraq are fighters and like Iran, they stick to the physical style of the games, Skocic has to choose a way that can cover these characteristics. Unfortunately, Team Melli has a persistent problem in the defense. The defenders do not put playmaking on the agenda and often resort to direct play and long aimless balls.

Team Melli needs to improve the transition from attack to defense with the focus on improving the mental switch to react quickly and recover to defend.

The coaching staff needs to address the role of each player when the team loses the ball, and the opponents get possession with intent to quick counter. Syria and Iraq have their eyes on the counterattack, that is why Team Melli players must act quickly in transition and changing the mode from attack to defense.

One area of concern with Iranian players in general and it is not specific to Team Melli is the psychology and mental strength/agility of the players. Unfortunately, Iranian are quite emotional people and at the time when the brain must be engaged much more than the heart, they become vulnerable.

Players get easily frustrated and easily intimidated too by tricky oppositions. Time and again, Iranian players have lost concentration and opportunities which lead to negative results. Understandably, Skocic is limited in what he can do in short spells with the players, nevertheless, it must be recognized and addressed at all times with the players.

It is hoped that with the integration of the legionnaires, this side of Iran’s weakness is improved and even eliminated soon.

Syrian style

The Syrians played more with its three coaches with three defenders. It was 2-3-3 in attack and 2-3-3 in defense. The full-backs were added to the three central defenders during the defense and also played a role in the attack. The dominant style of play in Syria was to cross from the wings so that the team’s target striker could use them. This plays well for Team Melli as the aerial prowess of the defenders is quite good in Khalizadeh and Kanani.

In general, Syria is a team that does not have complicated tactics as its football is based on strength and hard work. The players of this team try to defend sparsely on their own ground, even with a new coach. Another thing that was visible was that they were trying not to be crowded in front of their own goal and to keep the opposing team in the middle third of the field. This caused more powerful teams to target the space behind the Syrian defenders in many games and create many opportunities.

Syria is not the kind of a team that is able to dictate the game to Iran. However, underestimating the Syrians is a big mistake. The Iranian flanks must be quite active in sending the balls to Azmoun and Taremi, however, too much emphasis on such tactics makes Iran predictable, and also solutions can be provided by the opposition. Penetration from the center and quick one-two, the type that Amount-Taremi used in Bahrain, can easily split the Syrian defenses.

The counter-attacks are their main weapon offensively. In Mahmoud Al-Mawas they have a classical pacy forward that needs special attention With the half-backs of Team Melli venturing forward, during the transition to defense, Al-Mawas needs special handling else he could be a serious threat.

There is a great chance that Syria will park the bus in Azadi on Thursday. The onus is on Skocic to use a variety of tactics to break such defense. Also, emphasis on Team Melli players not to get frustrated.

Taremi wins best Champions League Goal Award.

Porto striker Mehdi Taremi has won the UEFA Goal of the Season award for his stunning bicycle kick against Chelsea.

Taremi scooped the prize as a reward for scoring Porto’s last-gasp winner in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie with Chelsea on April 13.

The Portuguese outfit ultimately exited the competition 2-1 on aggregate to the eventual winners, but their talismanic frontman has secured a place in European football history after receiving 30 percent of the final vote for the best goal of 2020-21.

Taremi’s wonder strike

There did not appear to be a lot on when Porto substitute Nanu raced down the right-wing in stoppage time at Sevilla’s Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium, but he managed to produce a perfectly weighted cross that found its way to Taremi with his back to goal.

The Iran international could have tried to bring the ball down before letting fly, but instead trusted his goalscoring instincts to unleash a sensational first time overhead kick, which flew into the top corner and left Blues goalkeeper Edouard Mendy rooted to the spot.

Who did Taremi beat to the award?

60,000 votes were cast for the UEFA prize in total, with Italy talisman Lorenzo Insigne coming in second for his superb individual goal against Belgium in the Euro 2020 quarter-finals, which ultimately gave the Azzurri a 2-1 victory before they went on secure the trophy with wins against Spain and England.

Rangers star Kemar Roofe has completed the top three, having been recognized for the spectacular long-range effort he produced in a Europa League group stage clash with Standard Liege.

Taremi’s overall record for Porto

Taremi joined Porto from Rio Ave last August and quickly established himself as the focal point in Sergio Conceicao’s set-up at Estadio do Dragao.

The 29-year-old scored 23 goals in his debut season with the Primeira Liga club, including his wonder goal against Chelsea, while also recording 18 assists.

List of Iranian Players playing abroad (Legionnaires).

With a couple of marquee players of Team Melli changing clubs at the start of 2021/22 season, it seems like a good idea to check who is who and where are the Iranian footballer playing abroad make their living.

This season’s most prominent transfer was of Alireza Jahanbakhsh who was recruited by Feyenoord Rotterdam and mark his return to the Eredivisie. The other Alireza, Beiranvand moved from Belgium to Portugal where he joined Boavista in the first division to add to the remarkable number of Iranian players in Portugal.

One of the most surprising moves was that of Payam Niazmand, who left Esfahan to join Portimonense in Portugal who already have Ali Alipour in their squad.

The list includes some interesting names too like Bakhtiyar Rahmani who is now playing in Sweden for FF Dalkurd a club in the second division of Sweden SuperEttan. Also included is Steven Beitashour who plays for Colorado Rapids in MSL. The Iranian American who was picked by Carlos Queiroz before World Cup 2014 appeared briefly for Team Melli.  An honorary mention must also go to Mehrdadi Pooladi who is still playing football in the Second Division of Qatar Star League. Pooladi never returned to Iran after the AFC Asian Cup 2015 over a dispute of his military service.

This is by far the most complete list of Iranian players playing abroad. If you have any updates or names that we have omitted, please do send your suggestions to the Chief Editor for inclusion.

The list indicates that 20 players who are on the current selection lists of Team Melli are playing abroad. On the other hand, 11 players who have been former Team Melli players are playing abroad now.

Iranian Legionnaires

#PlayerLeagueClubCountryTeam Melli
Current
Team Melli
Former
England
Saman GhoddosPremier LeagueBrentfordEnglandYES
Ravi ShamsiNon League PremierNuneaton BoroughEngland
Pouriya AhmadiNon League Division OneGlossop North EndEngland
Spain
Amir AbedzadehSegunda DivisiónPonferradinaSpainYES
Germany
Daniel DavariRegionalligaRot-Weiss EssenGermanyYES
Fereydoon ZandiRegionalligaSt. Pauli IIGermanyYES
Ahmad JafariRegionalligaHombergGermany
Aram AbdelkarimRegionalligaStraelenGermany
Ebrahim FarahnakRegionalligaHSC HannoverGermany
Ali SandoghdarOberligaVfL OldenburgGermany
Maziar NamavizadehOberligaRöchling VölklingenGermany
Iman Saghi beRiaOberligaHastedtGermany
Netherlands
Alireza JahanbakhshEredivisieFeyenoordNetherlandsYES
Nabi HakimzadehHoofdklasseHBSNetherlands
Aria HashemiEerste KlasseBest VooruitNetherlands
Australia
Behzad AriayeeQueensland NPLMoreton Bay UnitedAustralia
Azerbaijan
Mehdi SharifiPremyer LiqaSumqay?tAzerbaijanYES
Bangladesh
Khaled ShafieiPremier LeagueBashundhara KingsBangladesh
Belgium
Milad MohammadiFirst Division AGentBelgiumYES
Ali GholizadehFirst Division ASporting CharleroiBelgiumYES
Kaveh RezaeiFirst Division AClub BruggeBelgiumYES
China PR
Morteza PouraliganjiCSLShenzhenChinaYES
Croatia
Sadegh Moharrami1. HNLDinamo ZagrebCroatiaYES
Younes Delfi1. HNLHNK GoricaCroatiaYES
Mohsen Behzadpour3. HNLLu?koCroatia
Denmark
Saeid EzatolahiSuperligaVejleDenmarkYES
Georgia
Mohammad BarzegaraslLiga 3Didube 2014Georgia
Greece
Ehsan HajsafySuper League 1AEK AthensGreeceYES
Karim AnsarifardSuper League 1AEK AthensGreeceYES
Mohammadreza AzadiSuper League 1PanaitolikosGreece
India
Iman BasafaIndian Super LeagueBengaluru FCIndia
Iraq
Milad ZandaIraqi LeagueErbilIraq
Mohammed MhamdianIraqi LeagueNaftIraq
Mehdi DaghaghelehIraqi LeagueNaft MaysanIraq
Kuwait
Ali PourDaraPremier LeagueKuwait SCKuwait
Norway
Sousha MakaniEliteserienMjøndalenNorway
Philippines
Omid NazariPFLUnited CityPhilippinesYES
Portugal
Alireza BeiranvandPrimeira LigaBoavistaPortugalYES
Jafar SalmaniPrimeira LigaPortimonensePortugalYES
Payam NiazmandPrimeira LigaPortimonensePortugalYES
Mehdi TaremiPrimeira LigaPortoPortugalYES
Ali AlipourPrimeira LigaMarítimoPortugalYES
Taha ZareeiCampeonato (4th division)VianensePortugal
Qatar
Ramin RezaeianQatar Stars LeagueAl DuhailQatarYES
Mehrdad MohammadiQatar Stars LeagueAl ArabiQatarYES
Pejman MontazeriQatar Stars LeagueAl KharitiyathQatarYES
Ali KarimiQatar Stars LeagueQatar SCQatarYES
Shojaa KhalilzadehQatar Stars LeagueAl RayyanQatarYES
Mehrdad PooladiSecond DivisionMuaitherQatarYES
Alan Hossein KarimiSecond DivisionLusail CityQatar
Russia
Sardar AzmounPremier LeagueZenitRussiaYES
Scotland
Pedram ArdalanyFootball LeagueCumbernauld ColtsScotland
Slovakia
Iman SalimiSuper LigaSere?Slovakia
Sweden
Bakhtiyar RahmaniEttanDalkurdSwedenYES
Switzerland
Shaho Maroufi1. Liga PromotionStade NyonnaisSwitzerland
Thailand
Hamed BakhtiariThai League 1SuphanburiThailand
Vafa HakhamaneshiThai League 1RatchaburiThailand
Mahan Rahmani NoubariThai League 2Nong Bua PitchayaThailand
Turkey
Mohammad NaderiSüper LigAltay Spor KulübüTurkey
Majid HosseiniSüper LigKayserisporTurkeyYES
Ebrahim AabednezhadBölgesel Amator ligSerinhisarsporTurkey
Davoud Ezat?taghBölgesel Amator ligBiga AdasporTurkey
Ukraine
Allahyar SayadmaneshPremier LeagueZoryaUkraineYES
Shahab ZahediPremier LeagueZoryaUkraine
Siavash HaghnazariPersha LigaVolynUkraine
UAE
Ahmad NoorollahiADNOC LeaugeShabab Al-AhliUAEYES
Mehdi GhaediADNOC LeaugeShabab Al-AhliUAEYES
USA
Steven BeitashourMLSColorado RapidsUSAYES
Arshia AghababazadehUSL ChampionshipAustin BoldUSA
Ramak Nikan SafiNPSLJacksonville Armada IIUSA

Monetary Value of Top Asian Teams

 

Between the ِAFC Asian Cup 2019 finals that took place in the UAE, and the current combined qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup 2022 and AFC Asian Cup 2023 in China, a significant change of players’ market value has occurred despite the Corona pandemic that struck the world.  This change in player’s value significantly changed the ranking of the teams of the Asian continent. There are 39 teams participating in the current qualifiers after the withdrawal of North Korea, and they were divided into 8 groups, each of which includes 5 teams. 12 teams have qualified for the third round.

These variables that occur in the market value are an indication of the strength or weakness of the teams. In the 2019 Asian Cup, South Korea was at the forefront of the table with a market value of 84 million and 300,000 euros, but it fell to second place, despite its value rising to 126 million and 380 thousand euros, compared to Japan’s rise to the top now with 144 million euros. It is noteworthy that the Australian team fell to fourth place after its market value fell from 50 million and 600 thousand euros to 36 million and 500 thousand euros, while Iran climbed to third place from the value of 45 million and 350 thousand euros up to 79 million and 330 thousand euros.

The Saudi team leads the market value of the Arab Asian teams participating in the current qualifiers with 25 million 780 thousand, and occupies seventh place in the general ranking of the Asian continent, with an increase of more than 5 million euros from 2019. The UAE team ranked second among the Arabs of Asia With a value of 22 million 380 thousand euros, a double value of 2019, which was 8 million and 580 thousand, to rise from the tenth in 2019 to the eighth continental, then Qatar with 16 million and 430 thousand, and Iraq, which rose from 5 million and 380 thousand to 10 million and 280 thousand.

Asian Players Valuations

# Player Age Nationality Market value
1 Heung-min Son 28 Korea Rep €85.00m
Left Winger
2 Sardar Azmoun 26 Iran €40.00m
Centre-Forward
3 Daichi Kamada 24 Japan €25.00m
Attacking Midfield
4 Takehiro Tomiyasu 22 Japan €20.00m
Centre-Back
5 Mehdi Taremi 28 Iran €16.00m
Centre-Forward
6 Takefusa Kubo 20 Japan €15.00m
Right Winger
7 Takumi Minamino 26 Japan €12.00m
Left Winger
8 Hee-chan Hwang 25 Korea Rep €11.00m
Centre-Forward
9 Wataru Endo 28 Japan €10.00m
Defensive Midfield
10 Kang-in Lee 20 Korea Rep €10.00m
Attacking Midfield
11 Aaron Mooy 30 Australia €8.50m
Central Midfield
12 Junya Ito 28 Japan €8.00m
Right Winger
13 Ritsu Doan 23 Japan €7.00m
Right Winger
14 Eldor Shomurodov 25 Uzbekistan €7.00m
Centre-Forward
15 Mathew Ryan 29 Australia €6.00m
Goalkeeper
16 Alireza Jahanbakhsh 27 Iran €5.00m
Right Winger
17 Ui-jo Hwang 28 Korea Rep €5.00m
Centre-Forward
18 Omar Al-Somah 32 Syria €5.00m
Centre-Forward
19 Harry Souttar 22 Australia €4.00m
Centre-Back
20 Elkeson 31 China €4.00m
Centre-Forward
21 Lei Wu 29 China €4.00m
Left Winger
22 Hiroki Sakai 31 Japan €4.00m
Right-Back
23 Ali Mabkhout 30 UAE €4.00m
Centre-Forward
24 Ali Gholizadeh 25 Iran €3.70m
Right Winger
25 Shoya Nakajima 26 Japan €3.50m
Left Midfield

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As far as the teams are concerned, Japan is the undisputed top team in Asia. A country that has planned its progress for over four decades ago, is now repeating the benefit of its hard work in every department. Not only they administer and manage their football to perfection in Japan. Unlike some other nations such as Saudi Arabia and China which opted to spend a huge amount of money to gain success, the Japanese program embodied a culture, sense of responsibility, education, strong infrastructure, and emphasis on grass-root football to develop and progress. As such this Japanese model is exemplary and produced quality players that are now working in the best leagues of Europe. Soon, Japan will also produce quality coaches from the generation that has retired. It is only a matter of time.

 

As a team, Japan is the most expensive in Asia.

AFC National Teams Valuations

RNK TEAM Team Value In US$
1 Japan € 144,000,000.00  $  171,086,400.00
2 Korea Republic € 126,380,000.00  $  150,152,078.00
3 IR Iran € 79,330,000.00  $    94,251,973.00
4 Australia € 36,500,000.00  $    43,365,650.00
5 Uzbekistan € 27,650,000.00  $    32,850,965.00
6 Saudi Arabia € 25,780,000.00  $    30,629,218.00
7 China PR € 23,850,000.00  $    28,336,185.00
8 United Arab Emirates € 22,380,000.00  $    26,589,678.00
9 Qatar € 16,430,000.00  $    19,520,483.00
10 Iraq € 10,280,000.00  $    12,213,668.00
11 Jordan € 6,700,000.00  $       7,960,270.00
12 Vietnam € 5,650,000.00  $       6,712,765.00
13 Syria € 5,151,000.00  $       6,119,903.10
14 Oman € 3,580,000.00  $       4,253,398.00
15 Palestine € 3,380,000.00  $       4,015,778.00
16 Lebanon € 2,980,000.00  $       3,540,538.00

 

 

 

What does it take to win?

The penultimate game of Group C of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 will be played in less than 24 hours in Muharraq island in Bahrain between Iran and Iraq.

The objective for both teams is quite clear, Iran must win to top the group and avoid the complicated calculations for qualifying to the next round. Iraq will slip in with a draw which will assure it the top place and qualification.

The results and the stats favor Team Melli for the match on Tuesday, however, it is a cliche that fans have heard many times. Past Results means nothing at kick-off, the team that would win is the better team that has played according to its ability and gameplan.

Team Melli realistic chances.

Not only on paper but also on the last performances of Team Melli against the other group teams and friendly match versus Syria, Dragan Skocic has improved the team several folds. This team is incomparable to the one that the lackluster Belgian coach Wilomts fielded and lost to Bahrain and Iraq. The leadership and the marks of the Croat are quite vivid in a team that is basically the same players, minus a few veterans that have lost their places. The team is younger more confident and certainly capable of defeating Iraq with the same ease they have defeated Bahrain a few days ago.

In every department, Iran has the edge over Iraq, although Iraq’s coach Katanic has the upper edge on experience at the international level over Skocic.  Beiranvand was only really tested once in this series against Hong Kong which he unfortunately failed, but his experience and character should assure him a place in the starting lineup.

In defense, Moharrami has been solid, but not the same can be said about Milad Mohammadi. However, they seem to be the top best choices right now with a few other options available;e for Skocis. The Center of the defense is perhaps the most concerning. Khalizadeh and Kanani-Zadegan. The pair have played together well at club level and they formed a good understanding. They are solid defenders with the ability to support the offensive lines during dead ball situations. There is a question mark of the reliability of Kanani who lacks international experience and at times seems unsure of himself committing basic errors of judgments. Pouralganji is a better choice in many aspects, however, Skocic might opt to stick with the pair because of their good understanding.

IN Midfiled Ghoddos and Gholizadeh have been spotless and given the team the performance that forces the coach to start them in the match, Ezatollahi and Jahanbakhsh have many rough edges that might not be suitable for this critical match. ON the defensive side of the midfield, Nourallahi, and Hajsafy complete the midfield set that is well-balanced between defense and attack.

The forward line is without any argument belongs to Sardar Azmoun and Mehdi Taremi. There is little argument. against these two as starters.

Physically, Iran is stronger but what remains to be seen is if the coaching staff and counselors have instilled tactical discipline and strong mental agility in the players. The Iraqi’s are well known for play-acting and theatrics. The Iraqis will not miss any trick to distract the attention of Team Melli players even to the degree of intimidating them. There are several Iranian players who are vulnerable in this department and the Iraqis must have identified them. The solution is to ensure that these Team Melli players do not fall into the trap and continue playing their normal game which will be their tools to victory and qualifying for the next round.

Probable Line-Up

Alireza BEIRANVAND
Sadegh MOHARRAMI Hossein KANANI-ZADEGAN Shojaa KHALILZADEH Milad MOHAMMADI
Ehsan HAJSAFY Saman GHODDOS Ahmad NOUROLLAHI Ali GHOLIZADEH
Sardar AZMOUN Mehdi TAREMI